June 2018 History Question of the Month

James John Latses was born in Ageon Vaseleon, Greece, on June 2, 1892. He emigrated to America on Oct. 6, 1906, arriving on the ship “Caroline” at New York, N.Y., and moving to Utah that same year. James was naturalized March 31, 1914, and served in the infantry during World War I. He and his wife, Virginia, moved to Cottonwood Heights about 1932. As a real estate man, James opened the resort at Black Rock Beach on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake in 1934 and operated it until his death on Feb. 5, 1944. He was a member of the Greek-American Progressive Association, the American Legion, the Arcadian Greek Organization, Kolokotronis Lodge, the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce, and was a former trustee of the Greek Orthodox Church and former president of the Salt Lake Greek Community. His wife remained in the area after his death.